The next several months will be the start of something big; actually, several big somethings. The first comes in April when the beloved O’Fallon Perennial Walk is planted anew. Under the guidance of horticultural wizard Bridget Blomquist, a better story will be told about these perseverant plants that captivate visitors, revealed in waving tableaus that promise nine months of color. </p> Then, this summer we tackle two major sustainability projects at York Street. First, every flat roof on our buildings will sport solar panels. These, combined with all-renewable electricity, will create a campus that is net zero except for natural gas-fueled boilers to heat critical buildings, such as the Boettcher Memorial Tropical Conservatory. The second project is the next phase in saving water. The Japanese Garden stream will be relined, and in coming years, we will reseal waterways and ponds throughout the Gardens. </p>
Believe it or not, March is here, and spring is upon us. And come spring, the most exciting place in Colorado to be is Denver Botanic Gardens! As the days grow longer again and the weather warms, there are newly emerging plants and spring blooming bulbs around every corner at the Gardens. As you make your way through the Gardens be sure to take a few moments (or hours) to meander through Woodland Mosaic, one of our signature shade gardens and event spaces here at York Street.</p> From the moment you enter Woodland Mosaic, you will be spellbound with a sense of tranquility and wonder as you stroll along the brick pathways and wooden decks.</li> You will come across many freshly emerging bulbs such as snowdrops (Galanthus</em> spp.), Siberian squill (Scilla siberica</em>), spring crocus (Crocus vernus</em>), Eastern sowbread (Cyclamen coum</em>), daffodils (Narcissus</em> </strong>cultivars) and checkered lilies (Fritillaria meleagris</em>).</li> You will also bear witness to many of our shade loving perennials emerging such as false forget-me-nots (Brunnera macrophylla</em>), coral bells (Heuchera</em> spp. and cultivars) and already blooming Lenten roses (Helleborus</em> cultivars and hybrids).</li> In addition to the lush understory, you will be able to observe newly developing buds on the extensive tree collection that creates the majestic canopy for this shade garden to thrive. Witness trees including quaking aspens (Populus tremuloides</em>), European white birch (Betula pendula</em>), hawthorn (Crataegus</em> × prunifolia</em>), Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum</em>), Gambel oak (Quercus gambelii</em>), mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia</em> ‘Fastigiata’) and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor</em>) as they are awakening from a long winter’s slumber.</li> This garden also showcases many ideal evergreen shrubs and trees such as Green Velvet boxwoods (Buxus</em> ‘Green Velvet’), limber pines (Pinus flexilis</em>), and columnar white fir (Abies concolor </em>‘Fastigiata’). </li> </ul> Bring a snack and enjoy the solarium in the garden as well while you're there. The solarium is an iconic Victorian-themed glass house with a fascinating history that serves as a place to lounge, rest and spark a conversation while looking out into the garden and watching wildlife and natural activity. March in Colorado can be a rollercoaster of weather patterns including snow, rain, sleet, sunshine and everything in between. Woodland Mosaic is a perfect place to watch the happenings unfold and will inspire you to create your own shade garden oasis for relaxing, lounging, socializing and contemplating.</p> We are looking forward to your visit and are happy to answer any planting and gardening related questions you may have along the way!</p>
Sitting among the blooms, hearing the hum of bees and songs of 240 species of birds—welcome to Chatfield Farms, nestled between the foothills and Chatfield Reservoir, a nature lover’s oasis just south of Denver. </p> Chatfield Farms</a> offers 700 beautiful acres space for adults, families and businesses looking for a quick escape from the city. Imagine enjoying a high tea with 10 friends under the pergola in the Lavender Garden or creating a beautiful event space with tents and lounge furniture. The possibilities are nearly endless. Below are ideas and tips for planning an outdoor wedding or event to make it fun, successful and unique. Outdoor Enhancements </strong> Transforming your event space is all about visualizing possibilities. High-peaked tents create a dramatic space for a gala, dance floor or reception. Adding small lounge areas can create a special place for VIP, elderly guests or girlfriends; imagine a velvet couch and chairs with a heater and rug under glowing string lights. Our team can suggest rental companies that can provide tents and furniture to enhance your event. At Chatfield Farms we work with AllWell Rents</a> and Butler Rents</a>. </p>
Experience four glorious days of art, culture and cuisine: Mexico City and beyond.</p> For most travelers, Mexico City is not on their bucket list. Typically, people choose Cancun before anything else. I mean, I get it. White sand, clear water, a waiter who makes sure the drinks are full. What’s not to love? I too would have picked Cancun over Mexico City any day. That is until I visited Mexico City for the very first time back in 2019—and then it all changed. </p> First impression: What a mess. The airport was chaotic, no rhyme or reason to anything. So many people, so dysfunctional, I had no clue how to navigate anything—and that’s coming from someone who is fluent in Spanish. I remember asking myself, “Where am I, what have I done?” It wasn’t until I left the airport that I started to see the beauty. </p> Knowing very little about this city, I started with the two things most comfortable for me: food and art. At panaderías </em>(bakeries), lines wrapped around the block for good reason. Here, I discovered delicacies and flavors unknown to me, like pambazos</em>, a Mexican bread soaked in a special sauce, fried until hot and crisp, then stuffed with homemade chorizo. </p> Palacio de Bellas Artes, a piece of art itself, is an ornate Art Nouveau and Art Deco building completed in the 1930s, boasting enormous paintings by famed Mexican muralists Diego Rivera, Rufino Tamayo, Jose Clemente Orozco and David Alfar Siqueiros. </p> Together, the incredible cuisine and rich art scene opened the doors of my imagination and ignited my vision to curate this unique vacation for others.</p> Here are the top three reasons you should join me this July:</strong></h4> It’s a Time Capsule:</strong> You will find many things to do and see in Mexico City that will transport you to another era. This city is one of the few destinations where you can discover pre-Hispanic ruins, colonial buildings, French-style buildings and the latest architectural trends all in one place.</li> Folk Art:</strong> Take a piece of Mexican tradition home by buying one of the many products made by passionate artists where beauty, imagination and cultural heritage converge. How about decorating the house with a Talavera vase made in Puebla? Or the laborious and colorful fabrics of Chiapas or the black Oaxacan clay? Bring home an alebrije </em>(spirit animals) or a unique work of art created by the magical hands of the Huicholes. Best of all, you’ll have the opportunity to attend a workshop in the home of two of the region’s most talented folk artists, who will guide us in crafting our own alebrijes</em>. </li> Mexican Cuisine is a Rainbow: </strong>Yes, tacos are adored by thousands, but there’s a whole lot more than just tacos in Mexico. The country is enormous and so is the variety of food. Different regions have different kinds of cuisine, for example, pozole, mole, chiles en nogada, etc. Mexico is enjoyable and delicious, whether you are in a mega-recognized restaurant or a market stall. It’s no wonder that in 2010, Mexican gastronomy became part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list. </li> </ol> Denver Botanic Gardens and Reef to Rockies bring you an unforgettable experience traveling through Mexico City, Puebla and Oaxaca. </p>
The opening of the Freyer – Newman Center in 2020 provided Denver Botanic Gardens with numerous new spaces such as classrooms, art galleries and library. Another new space is the genetics laboratory. While this space is not readily apparent to the public, it still plays an important part in the Gardens’ core values of sustainability, diversity, relevance and transformation. Here are a few of the genetics lab’s activities and their contributions to those values.</p> Sustainability</h3> The ability of the Gardens to conserve plants will depend on its capacity to study nature and learn the patterns and processes that sustain ecosystems. Measuring genetic diversity is extremely important for understanding these patterns and processes. The new genetics laboratory gives us the ability to sample DNA from plants and fungi, and then use that DNA to explore a variety of questions: </p> “What species of mushroom is this?” “Are these plants closely related to those plants?” “Are there enough members of this species to maintain a viable population in nature?” </p> With a tool like DNA, our capacity to understand nature and make informed and wise decisions on how to protect the environment becomes much greater.</p> Diversity</h3> Growing public interest in familial relationships and social demography has made the field of genetics popular and accessible through companies like Ancestry.com. The genetics lab is being used as an opportunity to give experience in laboratory genetics to diverse groups of students. A shared goal of our department is to mentoring high school students in laboratory genetics so they can understand that science is a field available to them. Providing access to the labs in the Center to students from communities underrepresented in the sciences instills confidence and helps to demystify science.</p> Relevance</h3> The genetics lab gives the Gardens the opportunity to be a relevant contributor to science. One such contribution is a newly developed method for DNA barcoding fungi from natural history collections. This will allow us, and other researchers, to better measure macrofungal diversity (mushrooms and other visible fungi) growing in the Southern Rocky Mountain region. In addition, the labs are being used to explore the genetic diversity of plant populations on the western slope to understand whether these populations are healthy and sustainable by themselves. The genetics lab provides the Research & Conservation Department with the opportunity to perform scientifically relevant research and be an active contributor in our understanding of plants, fungi and nature.</p> Transformation</h3> The Research & Conservation Department has been using the genetics laboratory to train next generation of scientists in how to use genetic information for biodiversity research. Since the opening of the lab in 2020, at least two graduate students enrolled at the University of Colorado Denver have used the lab to generate data for their research. Emily Orr is one of those students and discussed the lab’s genetic projects in her blog post</a> from last year. More recently, Gary Olds finished his master’s degree in developing DNA barcoding methods for fungi as mentioned above. Soon, master’s and Ph.D. students will be using the genetics lab to study questions regarding the systematic diversity of plants in alpine tundra and other mountain habitats, and how communities of fungi are formed in various habitats across North America.</p> The genetics laboratory at the Gardens provides a wealth of opportunities for sustainability, diversity, relevance and transformation and we are only just scratching the surface of this potential.</p>
For many people in the metro area, summer at the Gardens has long been synonymous with the Summer Concert Series. World-class performers entertained throngs of fans in the UMB Bank Amphitheater under summer skies, and the botanical surroundings provided an unmatched setting.</p> Then came the pandemic. </p> In the early days of the crisis, it still seemed that the concert series could proceed as planned. This couldn’t possibly last until summer, right? Soon it became clear, to our venue and to thousands of others across the country, that summer music events would need to radically change. </p> As we brainstormed creative ways to offer music to our visitors during the pandemic summer months, the concept of Evenings al Fresco was born. Rather than a central performance space where crowding was all too certain, we identified five locations around the Gardens where small ensembles could safely perform as visitors strolled by. The response was overwhelmingly positive and served as a huge morale boost for staff and visitors alike as we reeled from the shockwave that had turned the world upside-down.</p> Now, a full two years after the pandemic began, we are thrilled to offer both </em>the Summer Concert Series and Evenings al Fresco so that visitors can choose from two distinct ways to enjoy music at the Gardens. The botanical surroundings for both series are the same, but the experiences for each are quite different. </p>
